Market Access & Promotion

Rice is one of the world’s most widely consumed grains and the primary dietary staple for more than half the world’s population.  American rice farmers grow 9 million tons of rice each year, just more than half of which is exported to more than 120 countries. 

The U.S. Department of Agriculture's Market Access Program (MAP), Foreign Market Development (FMD) Program, and Agricultural Trade Promotion Program (ATP) help the rice industry open foreign markets and promote our products abroad, with a proven track record of success in more than 30 overseas markets.  Learn more about our international market promotions below.

International Promotions

Recent News

USAR Sushi Poster in Norway shows chop sticks holding salmon roll in background & bag of Calrose rice in foreground
Where there's sushi, there's Calrose
Aug 20, 2024
OSLO, NORWAY – Earlier this year, USA Rice expanded its European promotional program to cover Scandinavian countries, including Norway.  These countries represent a relatively homogeneous target with high purchasing power and a growing preference for Japanese sushi and Korean food.  

From May through August, USA Rice teamed up with a local importer in Norway to promote and increase awareness for U.S. rice, displaying eye-catching posters at 10 locations of the popular Bambus sushi stores located in Oslo and neighboring cities such as Asker, Strømmen, and Sandvika.  The colorful posters promote the high quality and sustainability story of U.S. rice.  Each poster contains a QR code leading to the website of the local importer to generate further sales and interest.
 
“USA Rice also developed materials for the importer’s sales team to support their interaction with foodservice buyers, including information in Norwegian about the benefits and advantages of using U.S. rice,” said Eszter Somogyi, USA Rice director for Europe, Middle East, and Africa.  “We were very pleased with the results of this promotion and are already brainstorming new ways to support U.S. rice importers in the region.”
 
Norway is a top 10 U.S. rice export market in Europe bringing in more than $1 million of U.S. rice last year.
 
For more information on USDA's export marketing programs, visit USDA's website and USDA's Foreign Agricultural Service (FAS) website